FOCUS-40852- Linked Pcard PO Enhancement

System improvement adding Purchase Orders line items to PCard linked pop-up in Purchasing/Accounts Payable > Purchasing > Purchase Request Orders.

See Purchase Requests/Orders and/or Internal Purchase Requests/Orders for details.

FOCUS-40831- feat(budget): Add receipt description to receipt allocations drilldown in Exp/Rev Report

System improvement adding receipt description to budget drilldown in Budgeting/General Ledger > Budget > Expenditure/Revenue Report.

FOCUS-40560- Add features to FA > Categories

System improvement adding Export, Print, Toggle, and Mass Update functionality to Fixed Asset > Categories.

See Categories for more information.

FOCUS-40551- Fixed Assets > Room Report

System improvement adding 'Current Value' checkbox to the Fixed Asset > Reports > Room Report.

See Room Report for more information.

FOCUS-40522- Asset # in the transfer email

System improvement adding an asset hyperlink to the Fixed Asset Transfer email notification.

FOCUS-40795- Check Void Button

System improvement to Checks > Void Checks adding a popup warning "Are you sure you want to void the check".

FOCUS-40239- Add (inactive) to dropdown in Payroll > Run Payroll

System improvement identifying inactive jobs in Payroll > Run Payroll.

FOCUS-39927- HR_International Address

System improvement updating international address options throughout ERP modules.

See SIS > Setup > System Preferences > Localization for details.

FOCUS-38362- Applicant Tracking Job Posting from Position Control

System improvement adding template with position control selectable fields on Job Posting summary.

FOCUS-40869- Communication Platform: Allow Create Announcement Without Message Students Permissions

This update resolves a problem in the Communication Platform where users with sufficient permissions to send Announcements were unable to do so without having specific 'Send to Student' permissions. With this branch, end-users who have the necessary permissions for Announcements can now distribute them effectively.

FOCUS-40864- Communication Platform: Improve Styling when Printing

This update addresses two key issues related to printing messages in the Communication Platform:

• Letterhead Formatting: The orientation and page size specified for letterheads are now accurately respected.
• Element Styling: A styling issue where empty elements inadvertently influenced the formatting of adjacent elements has been corrected.

FOCUS-40841- Transcripts: Improved Generation with Letterhead Templates

This update introduces improvements in rendering Letterhead Templates:

1) Improved Letterhead Rendering: The method for displaying side content in Letterhead Templates has been revised. This new approach aims to provide more accurate height calculations by the PDF renderer, enhancing the overall layout and pagination of the document.

2) Fix in ConsolidatedTranscripts.php: This fix ensures proper HTML structure and formatting within the transcripts.

FOCUS-40834- Detention List: Resolve View Permissions Allowing Edit

This update addresses a permissions issue within the Detention List functionality. Previously, end-users with only view rights were able to edit information on the Detention List. This branch rectifies the issue.

FOCUS-40830- Communication Platform: Remove Reply Option for Teacher's Previous Students (No Schedule Record This Year)

This update enhances the communication controls within the Communication Platform, specifically addressing student-teacher interactions. Previously, students could continue replying to conversations with former teachers appearing in their sent items or inbox, even if they were no longer scheduled with those teachers. The new branch modification ensures that students can no longer reply to conversations with teachers if they do not have a schedule record with the teacher for this school year.

FOCUS-40809- Communication Platform: Ensure Email Signatures are Included

This update addresses an issue in the Communication Platform related to email signatures. End-users who had set up an email signature via their Communication Settings were experiencing a problem where their signature was not being included in the emails they sent out. It's important to note, however, that these email signatures will not be visible in the interface inbox, but will be included in the actual sent emails.

FOCUS-40800- Courses & Sections: Register Inclusion Rotation Days Changes

This update resolves an issue in the Scheduling > Courses & Sections module concerning the Inclusion Rotation Days field. Previously, when users attempted to clear out data from the Inclusion Rotation Days field found under a section's Inclusion tab, the system would not register the change. With this branch, clearing out the Inclusion Rotation Days field is now correctly processed.

FOCUS-40798- Transcripts: Improve Layout with "Year and Course" Grouping

This update brings notable enhancements to the process of generating Transcripts in the "Year and Course" grouping mode, addressing two key areas:

1) Location Title Separation: Previously, grades were not correctly separated by their respective location titles. This issue has been rectified, and now grades are properly differentiated and displayed with their accurate location titles, enhancing the clarity and accuracy of the transcript.

2) Handling Multiple Grades: In situations where a student had multiple grades for the same marking period, location, and course (across different sections), the system was creating an additional column for each marking period. The improved approach now simply adds another row for each distinct grade in such scenarios, rather than creating extra columns. This change streamlines the presentation of grades on the transcript, making it more organized and easier to interpret.

FOCUS-40786- Communication Platform: TTS Messages Containing No Content Removed from Focus Inbox

This update resolves a specific issue in the Communication Platform related to Text-to-Speech (TTS) messages. Previously, when users sent a TTS message with no content alongside an email, the empty TTS message would still appear in the inbox. With this branch, blank TTS messages are no longer delivered to the sent box.

FOCUS-40777- Discipline: New Preference To Control "Days Completed" Validation in Referrals

This update introduces an enhancement in the discipline management process. A new system preference, titled 'Restrict Discipline Referral Date Decided to student enrollment dates,' has been added. This preference allows organizations to toggle the validation error, "Date Decided Is Outside Enrollment", on or off when adding action records to Discipline Referrals. By enabling this feature, institutions can choose to enforce or bypass the validation that ensures the date decided falls within a student's enrollment period. This flexibility is particularly beneficial for organizations whose internal procedures may not align with the default validation settings. The preference is set to be active by default to preserve existing functionality and ensure a seamless transition for users.

See System Preferences > General for more information.

FOCUS-40775- Ed-Fi API: New Import from Previous Year Feature

We're thrilled to introduce a valuable new feature in Focus' Ed-Fi API configuration. This update brings an 'Import from previous year' option within the descriptor maps section of the Ed-Fi Setup. This convenient tool allows users to seamlessly import their previous year's mappings into the current year with a simple click. Upon confirmation, the system will automatically apply all mappings from the previous year to the current one, significantly streamlining the setup process. Importantly, this function is designed to respect existing mappings, ensuring that it will not overwrite any mappings that have already been established for the current year.

See Ed-Fi Setup for more information.

FOCUS-40774- User Profiles: Improve Profile Update Response Times

With the latest branch, the system now automatically clears cache following any modifications to profile access. This enhancement ensures that end-users can immediately observe the effects of any changes made to profile access rights upon saving.

FOCUS-40759- Form Builder: Ensure Changes Applied from Code View Edits

Previously, users encountered a problem where edits made in the code view of a text component were not being saved if the 'Update' button was pressed immediately after making changes. With this branch, this issue has been resolved. Now, when users make edits in the code view of a text component and promptly hit the 'Update' button, their changes are successfully saved.

FOCUS-40360- Florida: Remove Online Course Requirement Met

Following the decision by the Florida Focus Innovators Group (FL FIG) and recent legislative updates from the Florida Department of Education (FLDOE), this branch eliminates the "Student Online Course Met" field from the Student Final Grades, Testing History, and Graduation Requirements Report. While the field is removed from these reports, the system's student fields that contain this information will be retained for historical reference, ensuring that past data remains accessible even as current reporting aligns with the new legislative standards.

FOCUS-40288- Student Academic Report: Resolve Discrepancy in Total Scheduled Hours

In this update, we've addressed an issue where the Student Academic Report and the Attendance Chart displayed differing scheduled hours. This was occurring when a student's enrollment drop date was earlier than their schedule drop date. With this enhancement, users can now expect consistent scheduled hour information across both reports.

FOCUS-40102- Communication Platform: Improved Listing of Announcement, Template & Scheduled Messages

This branch introduces a comprehensive redesign of the template selection interface. Now, instead of a basic list with radio buttons, users are presented with a structured datatable that offers detailed information about each template. This table showcases the template title (which also acts as the selection link), the profiles it's published for, the schools it's associated with, the specific tab it's attached to (if any), the letterhead used (if any), and the creator of the template. For users with Document Management permissions, an additional column appears in the table. To cater to mobile users, given the constraints of screen space, only the list of template titles will be displayed on the mobile app version. This redesign aims to provide a more informative and streamlined experience for users when choosing a template.

See Communication (Admin) and Communication (Teachers) for details.

FOCUS-40719- Gradebook: Prevent Inactive Co-Teachers to Create Assignments

This update addresses and resolves a specific issue concerning co-teachers in the gradebook system. Previously, co-teachers were able to create gradebook assignments and link them to sections at schools where they did not have an active enrollment. This branch resolves this issue.

FOCUS-40589- Re-Enrollment Restrictions: Ensure Restrictions Trigger Without End Date Value

This update addresses a crucial aspect of the Re-enrollment Restrictions process. Previously, there was an issue where Re-enrollment Restrictions were not being applied correctly during the student enrollment process if the restriction end date was not specified. With the implementation of this branch, this problem has been resolved.

FOCUS-40476- Communication Platform: New Student Info Communication Submenu

This update introduces a dynamic new feature to the Communication Platform, greatly enhancing the way communications are managed and viewed. A new Communication Submenu has been added to the Student Info section, providing a comprehensive overview of all communications involving a student. This feature includes three distinct tabs:

1) Student Tab: Showcases all communications directly to and from the student.

2) District Tab: Displays communications at the district level that are relevant to the student.

3) Attendance Tab: Focuses specifically on attendance-related communications for the student.

Additionally, this submenu offers the flexibility to generate reports for a specific period, allowing users to set a custom start and end date for the timeframe they wish to review. This enhancement not only streamlines communication tracking but also provides a more organized and efficient way to access detailed communication histories related to individual students.

See Student Info: Communication (Admin) and/or Student Info: Communication (Teachers) for additional information.

FOCUS-40316- Parent Auth | New Preference to Force Name Entry

This update introduces a significant enhancement in the Parent Auth System Preferences, aimed at improving the student linking process. A new preference titled "Require Name When Linking Students" has been added. When this feature is enabled, it mandates that the student's name must be entered during the process of linking them to a parent account.

See System Preferences > Parent Registration and Parent Portal Registration for more information.

FOCUS-39745- Gradebook: Prevent Inactive Schools in Gradebook Categories

This update addresses an issue encountered when adding new categories in the Gradebook. Previously, when users were creating a new Gradebook Category, the list of sections available for selection inadvertently included sections from schools that were inactive. The fix implemented in this update involves adding a check to ensure that only active schools are considered when populating the list of sections.

FOCUS-40829- SSS: New Threat Assessment Operational Process (FL Only)

For our Florida customers utilizing the Special Student Services (SSS) Threat Assessment program, this update brings significant enhancements in line with the latest guidelines from the Department of Education's Office of Safe Schools. This revision introduces a new behavioral threat management operational process, aligning with the state's mandatory requirements for school districts to adopt by January 2024. We encourage you to explore the comprehensive details of these changes in our full snapshot overview, which provides an in-depth look at how these updates will enhance the threat assessment capabilities within your district:

https://focusschoolsoftware.zendesk.com/hc/en-us/articles/20181841704347-NEW-Florida-Threat-Management-Instrument

Also see Manage Student: Threat Assessment Events for more information.

FOCUS-40821- SSS MTSS: Improvements to MTSS Accessed through Early Warning System (EWS) Report

For our Florida customers utilizing the Special Student Services (SSS) Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) program, this update significantly enhances the functionality of the Early Warning System (EWS) report. Previously, when searching for MTSS events through the EWS report, only events from the previous school year were accessible. With the latest update, the search capability has been expanded. Now, when using the EWS report to find MTSS events, the system will link to the most recent MTSS event for a student, irrespective of the school year or the current status of the event.

See EWS, Bulk PMP Triggers > Generating the PMPs on the EWS Report (admin), and Bulk PMP Triggers > Generating the PMPs on the EWS Report (teacher) for more information.

FOCUS-40810- SSS: Improve Logic Behind Locked Events with Unsaved Draft Forms

This update enhances the functionality of Special Student Services (SSS) event forms. Previously, when an SSS event was locked, unsaved draft forms were replaced by blank forms, leading to data loss upon unlocking and resaving. Now, drafts are automatically converted to final forms upon event locking. Subsequent edits and saves post-unlocking do not delete these drafts, ensuring that user input is preserved.

FOCUS-40509- Formbuilder: Improve Performance in Form History

The Form Builder encountered an issue where the history wouldn't load due to parameter overload. This branch addresses the problem by selecting students through a subquery instead of looping and parameterizing each student ID. This change not only resolves the error but also enhances the processing speed.

FOCUS-40730- SSS | Improved Printing in PMP

This update addresses a printing issue with graphs in Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) steps, where graphs generated by the Google Charts library appeared too small. The problem was caused by an element placed 10,000 pixels to the left, affecting the print layout. The solution involves hiding these off-screen elements during printing, ensuring that graphs are printed at the correct size.

FOCUS-40532- SSS | Streamline Display of Data by School Year

This update enhances the Performance Monitoring Plan (PMP) Data Collection screen by streamlining the display of data. Previously, the screen included dates from the previous school year, which could lead to confusion or clutter. Now, with this branch, the screen exclusively displays columns from the current school year, ensuring that the information presented is relevant and up-to-date. Furthermore, the columns are now sorted in reverse chronological order. This means the most recent data appears on the left, making it more accessible and easier for users to view the latest information first. This enhancement not only simplifies navigation but also aids in quicker and more efficient data analysis.

FOCUS-40276- SSS | Portal Alert for Inactive MTSS Event for New Students

This update introduces a valuable new Scheduled Job titled 'Alert when existing MTSS students enroll,' designed to enhance the monitoring of students involved in Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS). When a student with inactive MTSS events enrolls in a new school, labeled as 'School B' for instance, and an enrollment date and code are entered for this new school, the system generates a portal alert. This alert is specifically aimed at notifying the staff at the new school about the incoming student and the need to review their MTSS events. This feature plays a crucial role in ensuring continuous support and oversight for students who are part of the MTSS framework, especially during transitions between schools.

See Scheduled Jobs, General (Admin), and General (Teacher) for more information.

FOCUS-40250- SSS | New Scheduled Job to Deactivate MTSS Events

This update introduces a crucial Scheduled Job titled 'Deactivate MTSS events for withdrawn students.' This job is particularly important for managing Multi-Tiered System of Supports (MTSS) events in relation to student mobility. When a student with active MTSS events withdraws from their current school, and a withdrawal date is entered, running this job will automatically set any active MTSS events to an INACTIVE status. This functionality ensures that MTSS records are kept up-to-date and accurately reflect the student's current educational status, providing an efficient way to manage MTSS event data in response to student withdrawals. This helps maintain the integrity of MTSS data and supports appropriate follow-up actions by educational staff.

See Scheduled Jobs for more information.

FOCUS-39809- SSS | New Provider Role Direction Node in Approval Flow

This update introduces a significant enhancement to the Approval Flow within Special Student Services (SSS) by adding a new property called 'Provider Role' to the Direction Node's configuration. Located on the 'Approval Permissions' tab, this addition allows users to refine the approval process based on specific combinations of SSS Provider Roles and Services. By enabling this feature, districts gain greater control and flexibility in determining how the approval flow operates. They can now specify which combinations of SSS Provider Roles and Services should be included in the Approval Flow, thereby tailoring the process to their unique operational needs and ensuring that the right professionals are involved in the approval stages for specific services. This enhancement streamlines the SSS service delivery, making it more efficient and responsive to the needs of students.

See Approval Flow > Setting Up an SSS Services Approval Flow and Caseload & Services for more information.